A Spring Brook Township man is awaiting a court date after a dramatic police chase that started in Blooming Grove Township and featured the suspect driving the wrong way on I-84.

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By BETH BRELJE

poconorecord.com

By BETH BRELJE

Posted Jul. 31, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By BETH BRELJE

Posted Jul. 31, 2014 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

A Spring Brook Township man is awaiting a court date after a dramatic police chase that started in Blooming Grove Township and featured the suspect driving the wrong way on I-84.

A state trooper was parked at 2:15 a.m. just south of Weis Market on Route 739 near what was then a temporary stop light when a tan Honda Civic driven by Luis Arroyo-O'Neill, 32, crossed the center line and began driving on the wrong side of the road, according to court records about the May 29 incident.

Police tried to pull Arroyo-O'Neill over but, according to police records, he turned onto the ramp for Interstate 84 West. On the ramp, he started to pull over, but then sped up and got onto the highway.

"We attempted to force it to stop by making contact with the vehicle and spinning it out of control. But it sped up as we made contact, and it spun and faced the wrong direction on the interstate," state police records say. "At this point the driver looked at us and sped off in the wrong direction on the interstate."

Police chased Arroyo-O'Neill as he drove the wrong way, exiting the interstate by driving up the I-84 West on-ramp at Exit 34. When the car reached Route 739, it sped off northbound.

Arroyo-O'Neill pulled the car over and then ran into the woods. A passenger remained in the car.

Police chased Arroyo-O'Neill through the woods, shouting commands to stop and then deployed a stun gun, which made him fall to the ground. As police attempted to handcuff him, he grabbed the stun gun, stood up and started running again.

But he fell against a tree as police caught up to him and sprayed him with pepper spray. Arroyo-O'Neill refused to show his hands or stop running through the woods, according to court records.

Police then deployed a second stun gun, and he was finally taken into custody. He had slurred speech and smelled like alcohol, police said.

In his cargo shorts pockets, police found a bag with 19.4 grams of marijuana and $3,630 cash. In the car, police found a mixed drink with alcohol in a clear cup in the center console and the scent of marijuana. There were also two bags of cocaine totaling almost 103 grams, plus a bag with 16.1 grams of crack.

Arroyo-O'Neill was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, resisting arrest, driving while under the influence, reckless driving and a number of drug-related charges. He is awaiting a court date.